Written answers
Tuesday, 4 February 2014
Department of Environment, Community and Local Government
Motor Tax Collection
Arthur Spring (Kerry North-West Limerick, Labour)
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479. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will estimate the current level of motor tax evasion; if a strategy to increase enforcement is necessary; and if the option of replacing tax discs with an electronic system utilising automatic number plate recognition, similar to that recently announced in the UK, has been considered. [5551/14]
Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Prior to the introduction of the Non-Use of Motor Vehicles Act 2013, the estimated level of motor tax evasion was 5%, representing an annual loss to the Local Government Fund of some €50m. I consider it too early to evaluate the success of the new measures, but the experience in the UK of introducing a similar system resulted in a drop in evasion rates from a similar level to under 1%. I will be considering, in conjunction with the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, measures to evaluate levels of evasion in the light of the new provisions for off road declarations and will consider what further measures may be necessary at that stage. I have no plans currently to replace tax discs with automatic number plate recognition.
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